Deanne Williams-Bryant

Dr. Deanne Williams-Bryant is a full-tenured professor in Hospitality Management at Bethune-Cookman University. She served as the founding Dean of the Bob Billingslea School of Hospitality Management, responsible for leading the charge to develop the School of Hospitality Management as a stand-alone school; establishing vision and mission, revising and building new academic programs, securing faculty and other resources for developing the school as well as maintaining the academic integrity and providing quality hospitality education among other duties. She has served as Department Chair, and as an Associate Professor, Assistant Professor and Instructor in Hospitality education while being an active member of both state and local Tourism Associations and campus community. A visionary leader with extensive professional industry experience in hospitality operations management, along with a myriad of professional affiliations, Dr. Williams-Bryant has demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence with an accomplished record of research, scholarship and community service.

She is experienced in developing innovative and relevant educational curriculum to prepare graduates for careers in the global hospitality industry. Dr. Williams-Bryant’s expertise in accreditation is evidenced by her service and leadership roles on several accreditation teams nationally and internationally and as a standing Commissioner for The Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. She believes the world is a huge classroom and espouses global education and service as a critical element for 21st-century professional development.

Her expertise in fundraising & advancement is demonstrated by partnerships established with both internal and external stakeholders to develop strategic visioning through collaborative research. She believes we must be innovative in our problem solving and persistent in pursuing our goals, for sustainability. She is driven to preserve, promote Hospitality and Tourism Management as a lifetime career and advocates for social and economic equity for faculty and student with active interest in their personal and professional development, with DEI at the forefront.

Dr. Williams-Bryant serves as a committee member of the P.O.C. Ph.D. Pathway Program.